Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-11-23
AN IRISH LEGEND.
The Dwarf of the Red Bog and Bis
Golden Ornaments.


In a lonesome part of Ireland stands
great dark mountain, blue as q wall
of sapphire, and with a crest like an
eagle's beak. Under II is a small stone
cabin surrounded with fringe OF
green. Wild, black bogland lies be
yond. skirted by strip of deep red
bog, which looks rs warm in the sun
shine as If it were a gold mIne.
Little Mary, who lived in the cabin,
had been so starved ever since she was
born that she had given up trying TO
grow. Her small face was as white
as the blossom of the bog cotton, and
her body was almost as thin as the
slender stem from which it swings IN
the breeze. There were eight children
il the cabin younger than Mary, and
they all stood round a noggin of milk
which Mary had just MIXED from the
COW.
"GIve me tint for the baby said
the mother, land carry the rest TO poor
old Bid at the back of the bog. She's
Sick. children, and the rest OF us are
on our feet,'
The children let of gazing at the
milk and Mary ran of with the noggln
as fast as she could without spilllng 1t.
She bad Just got to the black bog
where the red one joins 1t, when she
saw very strange figure squatting on
the groand-a dwarf, with his snort
arms thrown up as If to save himself
from falling backward, and with
most peculiar expression on his coun-
tenance. A cry seemed TO come from
him and putting down her noggin,
Mary ran TO his assistance, but when
hsa rIpGa rn the Hnnra she fnnn1
it was nothing but great lump of
bogwood that had been uncarted out
of the bog. With wild laugh and
haif-frightened glance over her
shoulder, she picked up her noggln
and again hurried on her way.
Bids only son was miles OF looking
for work and the bed-rldden creature
was alone .Iexcept when angel meSSen-
gers ike Mary came and mlnistered TO
her.
Mother says she's afeared it Is the
last time. 3D." said the child; ''for
the cows going, and We'll all be on the
road maybe, before the month Is out "
"'The Lord forbidl'' said the old wo-
man, when she had mOistensd her lips.
May He send you the rent up out OF
the earth, or down cut of the sky, you
that have kept the nelghbor out OF the
pOorhouse."
The dusk was darkering the purple
mountain, and the moon scudding wild
and bright through clouds and mists.
when little Mary. flying like a gull
stopped, poised on her toe and stood
gazing once more at the dwarf like
figure squatting fOrlOrnly on the very
edge of the red bog This time there
was no mistake about the matter. The
stump of bogwood was gone and the
strange figure was throwing up his
arms frantically to attract the little
maiden'S attention. a plover gave a
weird cry at the same moment ard the
dT-Srf cried out:
r'Help me upl OH, help me upl The
| awkward fellows have left me IN soft
Place and l am sinking.'
Mary walked up on her tptoes and
| looked at the dwarf. His eyes We're
quite crooked with his excitement in
| his fiat face and his short, stlff legs
were stuck fast III the red bog.
Get me over to the black bog,
which is harder" he SAID, land then
| shall be all right; don't want rs sink
| back into the earth again" Mary took
| hold of his short, Outstretched arms
| with both her little LANDS, and tucged
! as we'll as she was able After several
attemps she got him pulled out of the
! swampy ground and trundled him over
on the hard, black peat, where he Law
| painting for several minutes and blink
ing his extraordinary eyes up at the
| moon.
II hope you are more comfortable
now, sir,'' said Mary, with a courtesy.
Perfectly comfortable. And now,
my dear, put your hands in my poch-
cts and take ont what you can lnj.
It's only an encumbrance TO me after
J all these centuries. And it will pas
your rent. Did you ever hear of gold?''
mo sir said Mary.
Put your hands INTO my pockets,
| them" said the dwarf.
Mary did as she was bid and pulled
| up one after another quantity OF
beautiful shining yellow things,
| brooches, collars and other curious or
naments of ancient Irish times, and
she gathered them up into the skirt OF
her petticoat.
"Now, run fast said the dwarf,
''for | want to 90 on looking at the
moon. l haven't seen the face OF the
moon for [ don't know how many cen
turies. Often il shone on me when
was a giant instead of dwarf, and
a
singing birds flying all around me
Tell YOUR father that the heroes who
gave me these gold things to keep vii
never ask them back again from him
They psS me sometimes marching
across the bogland at dead of night
Iamenting for the woods that are gone
but they are all flashing in splendor
now, and have no need OF such trump
| ery as these Your father can sell TIL
gold and buy any number OF pigs an'
cOwS.n
Then the dwarf gave such an extra
ordinary yawn, and rolled his eyes s.
frightfully at the moon that little Mar.
turned and fed without as much a
saying 'thank you" When sh
reached home she emptied the gold or
naments into her fathers lap, and tol,
him her adventure exactly as 1t ha'
happened to her.
The child has gone mad wit
hunger" cried Mary's mother, claspln
! her hands. But the father put the gOl
. things into a sack and did not fail I
sell them instead of the cow.
When the whole family went In tn
: morning to look for the good-nature
, dwarf they found nothing but a hug
stump o. bogwood lying in partIc
, ulaTly awkward attitude on the edge o
/. the red bog, just where ii had been III
= earthed several days before Wher
the dwarf's pockets had been theI
. were deep, round holes. Somebod
: said tkat the stump had once been
: tree in a mighty forest, aud that tn
warriors of ancient Ireland ofte
hung their golden collars and armlel
. on the branches of the trees when the
rested under the shade. or course
that does not quite clear up htt
, Mary's mystery, but anybody can 81
). the gold ornaments in the Royal Iris
: academy.
e IJ o,